ALZHEIMER-DISEASE - IMPROVED VISUAL INTERPRETATION OF PET IMAGES BY USING 3-DIMENSIONAL STEREOTAXIC SURFACE PROJECTIONS

PURPOSE: To compare the diagnostic usefulness of three-dimensional (3D ) stereotaxic surface projection (SSP) with that of standard transaxia l display in brain positron emission tomography (PET) in Alzheimer dis ease (AD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Standard transaxial section display and 3D SSP PET image sets obtained after administration of 2-deoxy-2-[ fluorine-18]fluoro-D-glucose in 39 patients with probable AD (aged 53- 82 years; 15 men, 24 women) and 40 subjects without AD (aged 21-78 yea rs; 14 men, 26 women) were randomly interpreted. Receiver operating ch aracteristic (ROC) analysis was performed. RESULTS: Diagnostic perform ance was superior with 3D SSP (A(z)[section] 0.94, A(z)[3D SSP] = 0.99 [A(z) = area under the ROC curve]; P =.043). With 3D SSP, diagnosis o f AD was equally good in beginners and experts. The sensitivity and sp ecificity in questionable or mild dementia were 94% and 99% with 3D SS P and 79% and 88% with standard transaxial display. CONCLUSION: Accura cy of detecting AD was improved in PET with 3D SSP.